Everlasting Promise: Return to the Spirit World
by EmeraldCrazy100
Summary: 8 years later, Chihiro still has faith in Haku and his promise. When a disturbance occurs in the Spirit World, Chihiro must choose between the life she has known or the spirit she loves. Will her faith in Haku be rewarded or lead to more heartbreak?
1. 8 Years Later

**Hi everyone! I have decided to take just a short break from my Fruits Basket craziness in order to write a short fanfic for one of my favorite stories of all time. Hope you like it! **

_"Will we meet again sometime?"_

_"Sure we will."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise. Now go and don't look back."_

Reluctantly, I let go of his hand and began my slow descent towards the human world. Even though my heart is breaking from leaving Haku and everyone else behind, I still miss my parents. After tripping and practically tumbling down the hill, I hear a well missed voice.

"Chihiro! Where have you been? Hurry up!"

I can't believe my eyes. There are my mom and dad, standing there like nothing had happened. I run towards them in disbelief. "Mom! Dad!"

"You shouldn't run off like that, honey."

I stop in disbelief.

_What are they talking about?_

"You could get in big trouble."

Still unsure if this is just another cruel dream, I asked concerned, "Are you guys sure your alright?"

My mom, looking quite annoyed, said, "Let's go. I don't want to miss the movers."

Slowly, I start to realize that this is not a dream.

_I am back! I can finally go home!_

Then, realization sinks in once again.

_Oh, Haku..._

After all of this, I still have to choose between two worlds, each one pulling me towards it just as much as the opposite. Feeling Haku's gaze on me, I start to look back. I stop myself.

_No, I must look straight ahead and not look back. I trust Haku with my life. Therefore, I must not look back, no matter how hard it is._

"Chihiro, hurry up!"

I run forward into the long tunnel before I can change my mind.

**8 years later**

The sun is just starting to set. Its beams are beginning to dance in their wonders colors of violet, pale rose, and light yellow. I swing in a slow, steady rhythm on the old bench swing. My bare feet are absorbing the last of the heat from the old, worn out boards of the back porch. I look out onto the large, green garden. I close my eyes and lean back, breathing in the sweet scent of freshly cut grass and the warm, damp smell of watering systems.

I come back here a lot. I like to think about any problems that need to be solved, to relax after a long day, or if I don't have anything better to do, I relive faint, old memories of my trip to the Spirit World and Haku's last promise.

I have come a long way from the short, flat chested girl that entered the Spirit World 8 years ago. Since then, I have grown into a mature, young woman. Almost immediatly after I left the Spirit World, puberty kicked in and I was never the same. As I grew to my full height of 5'8, my brunette hair never stopped growing. It almost reaches my butt now. Over all, the most noticeable physical change would have to be that I don't remember what is was like to not have a huge chest.

Even though my body and mind has grown, my heart is still that of a young girl. I still believe that my dragon will come one day like he promised. My secret life in the Spirit World has never been shared with anyone in the human world. Over the last 8 years, the memories have grown fainter and fainter. In order to not loose them forever, whenever I remember the Spirit World and my adventures with my friends, I write them down. I even mumble strange names and words when I get caught up in my memories occasionally, and my parents and friends think that I am crazy. I sometimes feel like I am drowning my memories.

The soft breeze combs my hair as I am forced back to reality, after another memory flashback. In my time of remembrance, the sun has set and the temperature has dropped quickly. I gather my few belongings, and start to head inside. Just then, a warm draft, almost like someone's breath, rushes past my face. It whispers to me.

_Chihiro..._

I stop mid stride. I close my eyes in hope and slowly turn around to face the oncoming wind. Bracing myself for the worst, I open my eyes...

**Okay, I know. Worst place to stop ever, but it can't be helped. You will just have to wait. Please review and give your opinion of the story!**


	2. The Dream

**Hey! I am back with the second chapter. To tell you the truth, I was originally planning on making this a short one-shot, but then the inspiration kept coming to me! So, here I am! Enjoy!**

**For the people who reviewed my last chapter:**

**misspettyfer- Yes, I must admit, that was a horrible place to stop. Thanks for your review!**

**Alexandria Volturi- I will have to check out your stories sometime as well! Thanks for your review!**

_The soft breeze combs my hair as I am forced back to reality, after another memory flashback. In my time of remembrance, the sun has set and the temperature has dropped quickly. I gather my few belongings, and start to head inside. Just then, a warm draft, almost like someone's breath, rushes past my face. It whispers to me._

_Chihiro..._

_I stop mid stride. I close my eyes in hope and slowly turn around to face the oncoming wind. Bracing myself for the worst, I open my eyes..._

I find myself looking out onto my empty yard which is being watered by a light drizzle. I sigh. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I knew that it would be too good to be true. I walk out into the rain and look at the darkening sky. The rain feels so good on my skin. I stare at the sky, longing, until the rain picks up and I am forced into my small house.

It is a cute house that my parents bought for me while I am in college. It is an older, one bedroom, one bathroom house. The paint work is fresh since I repainted it since I moved in, but the outside of the house is still quite old looking. It is just the right size for a college student though. It is small but simple. I have a large desk and a small couch in the living room, which I use for my school work, a double bed with a matching nightstand and dresser, and then some small decorations. It is pretty simple and cheap. The only expensive thing in the house is my new laptop, which I only use for research. I like to live a simple life without that much socialization.

I grab a towel and make my way to the living room. I turn up the heat, turn up the television, and lay back as I dry my long hair. Over time, it becomes dry and I suddenly become very sleepy. I slowly drift off into a restless slumber.

_I feel odd. I open eyes. I am shocked to find myself falling downwards into an endless mist. I open my mouth to scream, but no sound fills my throat. My body paralyzed with fear, I close my eyes in anticipation of the sickening thud of my body against the ground. The seconds that I am left breathing feel like hours. _

_Suddenly, I feel my body start to slow down. I open my eyes hesitantly and see ground approaching fast. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for impact. Suddenly, my body stops in-mid air. Then, I feel myself sinking into something soft and the smells sweet. Shocked, I open my mouth to inhale, but end up getting a mouthful of flower petals. Coughing and sputtering, I sit up and open my eyes. My heart stops.I look around me in shock. I find myself on the edge of a flower covered cliff overlooking a large city. Beyond this is a large body of water that goes on for miles. I stare in awe. I have never been able to see this far in my entire life. In reality, I know I should only be able to see to the body of water. Instead, I can see for miles upon miles. In fact I can see a small town with a large bathhouse far in the distance._

_I blink. Wait a minute! Bathhouse? It- it can't be! C-could I truly be back?!_

_I lean forward, breathing in the sweet scent of the salt water. I am immediately caressed by a soft breeze. I gasp in surprise. It is warm, and it feels as if hands and fingers are combing through my hair and running down my back. I fall onto my back in surprise, my hair raining down across my face. Slowly, my hair is lifted away from my face. I look up into the face of my visitor. The face is that of the young man that I have dreamt of for 8 long years. I smile as tears fill my eyes. I lay still, suddenly feeling weak, and watch him. He slowly leans over and brings his face inches away from mine. My heart beat speeds up. I close my eyes, willingly leaving myself at his mercy. I feel his breath on my ear. He whispers softly._

_"Come back..."_

_The tears spill over. His name forms on my lips._

_"Haku..."_

_I want to cry out to him. To tell him how long I have wanted to come back. Of all the endless attempts to go back through the tunnel. Of my longing to return to him, Granny, Rin and everyone else. I feel him starting to leave me. I open my mouth to call to him, only to find myself falling away into an opening darkness...._

_"Haku!"_

I sit up on my cold floor, panting hard and in a cold sweat. I look around, gathering my bearings. I must have fallen asleep and fallen off the couch. I sigh.

_It was only a dream...It felt so real though! I could swear that Haku was there with me! Oh, I really am losing it now!_

**Ok, here is the big question. Was it really a dream? Well, we will just have to wait and see! Please review!**


	3. The Message

**Sorry, sorry, sorry! Life has been crazy with myself starting school, my computer crashing, and so on and so forth. Well, here I am! Back with the next chapter! Enjoy!**

It has been two weeks since the dream, but it still never leaves my mind. I am back to my days of endless daydreaming and restless nights.

Now, I stand on the bank of the former Kohaku River. It it true. It was filled in.

As I look around, I have to sigh. After a lot of research, I had found what I was looking for. So, I drove the 600 miles to come to the site of the once magical river. Just as I expected, the river is still gone, just like it was 8 years ago. Nothing has changed. Looking upwards, I see that even the small blue house on the end hasn't changed.

Yes, after much research, I discovered that the former Kohaku River once resided exactly where my former house was built. I have to smile at the coincidence. The coincidence being that this the same house that I was going to when I discovered the Spirit World. Little did I know, even after I came back from my adventure, a memory of Haku was stamped in the soil beneath the very floor I slept on for the next 5 years.

Now, it is just a house instead of my dragon in shinning armor/scales.

After a short walk, I reach the old house. I smile. It hasn't changed a bit since we moved away 3 years ago. The "For Sale" sign is still swinging in a steady pattern at the end of the short, gravel driveway. I make my way to the overgrown backyard. The trees and bushes that used to line the yard have formed a thorny hedge. After ducking under a gnarly branch, I enter the yard. It is overrun by red, yellow, orange and pink flowers and thorny weeds. It looks like something you would see in a fairytale, with its mystical yet mysterious atmosphere. Yet, the thing that stands out above the flowers is the small, blooming peach tree near the crumbling water fountain. I smile. I remember planting that tree the week we moved in here as a way of showing my content with accepting something new.

On the other hand, the peach tree still doesn't compare to the mighty oak tree towering above it. It's bark shows the signs of many years come and gone. It also hosts the tree house my father helped my build with some neighborhood kids. I look up in the leafy branches and still see the camouflaged hide out. It is just as hidden as I wanted it to be.

I look into my past life for several minutes, taking in the sights and smells. I remember the time I made my first friend, or when I would dance out in the sprinkler with my dog. All of these are good childhood memories, now long gone. We all move on with our lives, slowly forgetting what it was like to live in complete innocence. I stand there, drowning in memories.

Then, feeling the hot sun beating down on my back reminds me of the time. Sighing, I turn to start walking up the overrun path. Suddenly, I am pulled to the ground, my ankle caught in a long, thick root. Looking down at the obstacle, it occurs to me that this root wasn't here the first time I came down the path. It would have had to step over it in order to enter. Therefore, I would have remembered it for the second time. It's as if it appeared out of thin air. I slowly get up, and try to release my ankle from the old bark.

Strangely, it seems the more I pull on the root, the more it tightens around my ankle. I finally give up pulling and grab a sharp rock near my head. I struggle to sit up and get the sharp edge to the root, only to be pulled forward by the root, causing me to collapse to the ground once again as I am dragged backwards towards the tree. I try to cry out, only to find my mouth filled with dirt and grass as I am dragged along the rough ground. My head hits a rock, and everything goes black.

* * *

_I am lost in everything around me. I cannot tell where my body ends and my surroundings begin. My senses are weak and my physical strength is almost completely gone. I can't even open my eyes. I slap my face in a small attempt to get a hold of myself. _

_With much effort, I open my eyes. I look around, but to my great horror, I realize I am alone in this obscurity. I am not even standing on the ground. I am simply suspended in mid air, naked as a baby. The only covering I have is a shroud of mist blanketing my soft skin. _

_Suddenly, I feel different. I look down and see that I am standing on the same cliff as before, only I can't see a thing through the mist. I am now wearing a soft, white dress, simple with no decorations whatsoever. My once wet hair is now completely dry and is flowing in ribbons down my back. _

_I stand there trying to process what is happening, when I feel an arm wrap around my waist. My breath is taken away with the strength of my companion, being that he was the simple age of 12 when I last saw him. I turn and find myself face to face with a handsome stranger. He is still in his traditional outfit as before, only much bigger. He looks to be approximately 20 years old, a huge change from the small boy who I have dreamt of so often in the past 8 years. His dark brown hair is still cut in that ridicules style, but his deep, jade eyes are still as intriguing as they were 8 years ago. I try to speak. _

_"H-H-Haku! It's really you! I have been wondering if you were trying to contact-" I start, but am silenced by his lips on my own. I could have died and gone to heaven right then and there and be happy for all eternity. As quickly as they came, the warmth on my lips are removed. Face unchanged, Haku speaks with his much deeper voice._

_"Now isn't the time for catching up. I only have a short time longer to contact you," my face falls, but Haku pulls my chin up so I can look right into his eyes, "You must listen to me carefully. There is a disturbance in the Spirit World. If you don't come back to the bathhouse by dusk tomorrow, great disaster will fall upon your world, the Spirit World, and everyone in between. Here is what you must do," He whispers in my ear, and then pulls away, "I know it is much to ask, for if you return, you may never again return to your world. It is a decision for you to make and you alone. Whichever you choose, I will still be with you until the day I perish." _

_Once again, I am pulled into a deep kiss with much more passion, on both of our parts. All to soon, it ends and I pulled away from him into the thick mist. I try to call out to him, so many questions unanswered, but I find I have no voice. I am pulled through the fog until I am in what feels like water. I feel an incredible amount of gravity pulling me farther and farther away from the surface. I start to panic but end up passing out instead. _

* * *

I come to leaning against the rough bark of the huge oak tree. I try to sit up, but end up slumping against my solid wall once again, my strength drained. Since I am unable to move, I try to think of my options. I made up my mind the moment he told me what must be done. I know that I have to go back, even if it will separate me from humanity for the rest of my life. Surprisingly, I am not even sad at the thought of never seeing my family again. I suppose I knew ever since my last visit 8 years ago that the time would come when I would leave forever. The only thing left to do, is come up with a logical reason for my disappearance. This is the hardest decision at the current time.

After thinking for awhile, I get up the energy to go back home and go through with my plan. I will be ready by dusk. Hopefully.

**Thanks for reading! If you want to see the next chapter, REVIEW! Thank you!**


	4. Long Night

**Hello everyone! I am back with a new chapter after much thinking and brainstorming! Hope it lives up to your expectations! Since I got some requests for more character building on Haku's part, so this is going to be the first chapter from Haku's POV! Enjoy!**

**Haku POV**

Like every morning in the bathhouse, the bustling and murmuring of the dedicated staff echoes through the thin walls of my large chambers. I lay on my large bed, feeling extremely drained, besides the fact that I have just woken up. I can tell by the slant of the sunlight streaming through my open window that it is about an hour after opening time. Not yet having the will to get up, I close my eyes and listen to the sounds of the old bathhouse. It actually is quite calming after all these years. The sound of water rushing through the passages in the walls, the excited laughter of the guests, the steady creaking of the floor boards in protest to our more larger customers and whistling of the steam escaping the furnace. Yet, there's always something to ruin my morning...

"Haku! Time to get up! We have some customers that need to discuss important matters with you!" Lin shouts through my all-to-thin-door. I sigh in exasperation, but say nothing.

"Haku, I know you hear me! If I don't hear movement in the next 10 seconds, I am going to come in there and do some movement on your face! Get. up."

Here I thought I was the boss. Apparently no one told Lin. She has taken the liberty to being second in command, even taking on the responsibility of being my daily wake up call. The all-too-familiar sound of the key in my door's ancient lock doesn't even stir me anymore.

Next thing I know, the warm sheets are ripped from my body and I am greeted by the scent of heavy sweat and lavender shampoo.

"Haku, I have been up since 5 a.m. I knew you were tired from this past week, so I decided to let you sleep in an extra hour or two. So, it's now 7 o'clock and it is time to get up!"

I sigh and give up to my hormonal maid. Stretching, I sit up and look into the intense stare of Lin. If that doesn't wake just about anyone up, I don't know what will. She throws a freshly ironed outfit at my face and turns on her heel out the door, calling, "I'll be back in 10. Don't make me wait for you!" As she leaves, she mutters, "358 years old and I am still waking his 20 looking self daily..."

Lethargically, I move into the bathroom off my master bedroom. After deposing my clothes on the rim of my own personal, enclosed bath, I step into the relaxing sauna, feeling the tension and fatigue leave my body with every move. After I am fully submersed in the heavenly water, I take my time to think.

Last night was probably the most energy draining night of my life. I only used my mental abilities, yet my entire body feels as if I have been running for years on end, without my supernatural endurance. Last night, I did the deemed impossible. I crossed into the Human World.

**Okay, I know. This chapter is super short. I offer no excuses except a horrible case of writers block and a busy life! I am hoping to write a better, longer chapter soon.**

**Please review!**


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